Intergenerational hormesis is regulated by heritable 18S rRNA methylation 18S rRNA methylation is heritably transmitted to regulate intergenerational hormesis

Heritable non-genetic information can regulate a variety of complex phenotypes. However, what specific non-genetic cues are transmitted from parents to their descendants are unknown. Here, we perform metabolic methyl-labelling experiments to track the heritable transmission of methylation from ancestors to their descendants in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that methylation is transmitted to descendants in proteins, RNA, DNA and lipids. We further find that in response to parental starvation, naïve progeny display reduced fertility, increased heat stress resistance, and extended longevity. This intergenerational hormesis is accompanied by a heritable increase in N6’-dimethyl adenosine (m6,2A) on the 18S ribosomal RNA at adenosines 1735 and 1736. We identified DIMT-1 as the m6,2A methyltransferase in C. elegans and find that dimt-1 is required for the intergenerational hormesis phenotypes. Together this study provides the first labeling and tracking of heritable non-genetic material across generations and demonstrates the importance of rRNA methylation for regulating the heritable response to starvation Matched mRNAseq and Ribo-seq (ribosome profiling). Two experiments: Fed vs. Starved (6 replicates each); Empty vector vs two targeted knockdowns (4 replicates each)